


Dog Days

by Lady_of_Rohan



Series: Joseb [9]
Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Animal Attack, Blood, Butts, Detectives, Emergency room, Emotional Support, Gen, Hospitals, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Injections, Medical, Medical Procedures, Medical Trauma, Needles, Ouch, Pain, Partnership, Summer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-22 21:29:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12491252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_of_Rohan/pseuds/Lady_of_Rohan
Summary: During a routine homicide investigation, Joseph suffers an unexpected injury at the hands of an aggressive canine, putting he and Sebastian's partnership to the test.Young Seb and Jo from their early years.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you've read Of Sound Mind, the bit about the rabies shots was actually an old headcanon of mine. So, since more Joseb has been requested, I finally decided to work on it! 
> 
> This fic takes place in the summer of 2007, making them partners for two years. Joseph is 26, and Seb is 31. Which means that Lily would only be a year old when this fic takes place :)
> 
> Also, I'm posting it in chapters just so I can take it at my own leisure instead of pressuring myself to finish the whole thing all at once. Hope you like! ♥

It was a routine sweep. Rough part of town, making the two well-dressed detectives look a bit out of place, pristine, professional clothes against filthy Krimson streets and worn-away brick buildings.  
  
The weather was hot, the August sun sweltering, but not enough to keep Sebastian from wearing his trademark trenchcoat. Joseph still wore his full waistcoat, never seen without his freshly-pressed work attire.  
  
The victim had been found washed up along Elk River, his last known whereabouts his fiancee's abode. Or, well, if you could call it that.  
  
The area of town was more like a hovel, Sebastian thought sympathetically. Plagued by poverty, and a lot of the city's drug busts happened here. Hooking, too. It was the sort of thing that he'd grown used to, day-in-and-day-out on the force, but Sebastian could tell that Joseph was a bit uneasy, his expression one of pure concentration. He knew that the younger man wanted to get to the bottom of this just as much as he did.  
  
It seemed there were far too many murders and missing persons lately, and not enough answers.  
  
When the two men arrived at their desired location, the victim's significant other's house, they took a moment to survey the area. A broken chain-link fence surrounded the modest house. Single-floor, with a patched-up window and a couple of lawn chairs set out front. Sebastian looked to Joseph before he decided to knock on the door.  
  
"Thoughts?" Sebastian inquired, as Joseph brushed his floppy hair out of his eyes.  
  
"No car," he observed, glancing towards the shabby driveway. "Might not be home."  
  
"Positive?"  
  
"Gas canisters right there." Pointing his gloved hand towards where someone had clearly been filling up gas for a vehicle. Sebastian smiled, offering a light chuckle. Joseph was sharp, as always. Even the heat couldn't dull him.  
  
"Good eye, partner."  
  
"I'll check around back," Joseph said. "Just in case. Maybe a neighbor is around."  
  
Sebastian gave a nod in response, knowing that houses such as these still had modest yards. If someone was out back, there was no reason to waste time, and it would be overall easier if their informant had a guilty conscious and decided to flee the premises. More ground to cover.  
  
As his partner disappeared around the corner, Sebastian knocked again, louder this time as he shifted his weight. No answer. Either they weren't home, as Joseph had observed, or they were ignoring him. Hell, they could have already skipped town, if they were the one who'd thrown the poor man on his path towards the lake.  
  
Sebastian took a few steps over to the broken window, pulling back some duct tape to reveal a hand-sized hole. It was close enough to the door that he could probably stick his arm through, at the risk of getting cut, and unlock it himself. But his musings were cut short as distinctive, angry barking resounded loudly throughout the alleyway, followed by what could best be described as a panicked yelp.  
  
Seb's heart seemed to jump into his throat, recognizing his partner's tone instantly.  
  
_"Joseph!"_  
  
Gun drawn from the holster concealed beneath layers, Sebastian was booking between the two houses, kicking up dust as his trench coat billowed behind him. The chain fence extended around the premises, the gate left ajar as it was where Joseph had clearly made his entrance, and Sebastian was horrified to see Joseph standing his ground against a rather large dog that resembled a Doberman, but a bit larger. Legs spread apart, his partner's palms raised as he took a few paces backwards, attempting not to induce its wrath. The animal snarled, teeth bared, and Seb was about to come between them, finger on the trigger, when the angered mutt lunged, just high enough to snag Joseph's gloved hand.  
  
Sebastian hadn't been quick enough, the scene unfolding horrifically.  
  
Something of a scream escaped the younger man's lips as Sebastian watched helplessly, a brief struggle ensuing before Joseph forcefully ripped his hand away. Just as swiftly as it had come, the dog went scurrying off in the opposite direction. Pistol at the ready, Sebastian fired an angry shot that reverberated loudly, not hitting the creature, but certainly scaring the shit out of it. He was about to go chasing after the violent mutt, but Joseph had dropped to his knees, hand clutched tightly to his chest. As much as he wanted to kill the unruly thing, his partner came first.  
  
"Jesus christ, Joseph!" Seb swore, crossing the remaining space between them and kneeling down beside him. "What the fuck happened?!"  
  
"I... don't know," Joseph said, seeming to fumble for words. "It came out of nowhere..."  
  
"Well, that's the last time I let you go off on your own. Hey, let me see."  
  
Though Joseph was cradling his hand protectively against his waistcoat, Sebastian gently urged him to let him take a look. Taking the man's pale wrist, Sebastian gingerly took Joseph's hand as he held it out.  
  
A disturbing amount of blood was seeping through the leather material of his glove, punctures clearly visible in his palm as well as the back of his hand. The sturdy material was clearly torn, where Joseph had tugged violently away. Sebastian grimaced as blood dripped into his open palm while he examined the damage. Looked like the damned thing would have torn his hand clean off, if it could. He managed to bite back his worry as he looked at Joseph's chestnut gaze, gone rather dilated behind his glasses.  
  
"Looks pretty serious," Sebastian assessed, not quite letting his hand go. "Should get you to a hospital."  
  
Joseph paled visibly, lips parted. "I'm... are you sure?"  
  
"It's an animal bite, Joseph. You know it's protocol."    
  
Better than he did, in fact. Joseph was a stickler for the rules, and he only knew it because he'd come in contact with a wild animal himself a couple of years back. What a mess that had turned out to be.  
  
 "Like with me and that damned opossum," Seb grumbled.  
  
Joseph frowned. "What?"  
  
"Ask me another time. For now, let's get that cleaned up and get you to a doctor."  
  
Reaching into the breast pocket of his light grey shirt, Seb produced a handkerchief from it. When Joseph's lips made a further downturn, Sebastian reassured him.  
  
"It's clean, I promise."  
  
Myra made sure that he wasn't carrying around a used hanky, that was for sure.  
  
Another reach to his belt pouches, and Sebastian pulled out his flask. On days like this, water was downright important. Every cop on the force had ran themselves ragged and suffered from dehydration at one point or another.  
  
"Gonna clean it off," Sebastian explained. Who knew what kind of germs that animal had. Getting to a nearby sink would be wasting time, but he could at least rinse it a little bit.  
  
Smaller hand gently in his sturdy grasp, he tugged Joseph's glove off as slowly as he could, only taking a brief glance at the torn skin of his pale hand before he untwisted the lid of his flask. Cool water poured out, washing away a bit of blood as water splashed over Joseph's hand and onto the gravel. Joseph winced.  
  
When Sebastian was satisfied by his quick first-aid, he carefully guided Joseph's hand to rest upon his lap, the material of his blue handkerchief soon tied tightly around Joseph's bloody palm.  
  
Joseph gasped at the pressure, as Sebastian issued a blunt apology, his partner's gaze catching his.  
  
"Sorry..."  
  
He reached out to clamp a strong hand over Joseph's shoulder, but not before wiping Joseph's blood onto his brown pants, feeling the other man tremble slightly. Sebastian offered a smile.  
  
"Come on, that'll be fixed up in no time."  
  
Joseph gave a nod as Sebastian helped him from the ground, wrapping an arm around his waist to keep him steady. Getting Joseph back to the car, as he stumbled, the injured man looked to be in shock. He didn't blame him one bit. Sebastian was attempting not to frown, keeping an unfazed front for his ailing partner, but he was worried sick.  
  
Joseph had a habit of getting himself banged up, but broken bones and bruises were one thing... an animal bite, the sight of blood, was something even more troubling. Infection, disease... hell, the usage of his hand. It was a lot to think about.  
  
Sebastian, naturally, played it off well, though he wondered why his partners always seemed to be the ones getting hurt. As he opened the passenger door for Joseph, Sebastian waited patiently for him to situate himself, and then shut the door behind him. Then, he swiftly came around to the other side and hopped in the driver's seat, key in the ignition. Joseph seemed to be numbly staring at his wrapped-up hand, rather than dutifully reaching for his seat belt as he always did, so Sebastian reached an arm over the other man's shoulder, tugging the belt across his lap and easily snapping it with one hand. Joseph mumbled a brief 'thanks,' to which Seb merely grunted.  
  
Thankfully , they weren't far from Krimson General. About a 10 minute drive, and if he pushed the speed limit, he'd be there sure as hell faster than any ambulance could. Besides, he was certain that a ride in an ambulance would only increase Joseph's anxiety. Been there, done that.  
  
Soon speeding through the residential area, on his way back to the heart of Krimson City, Sebastian's foot was leaden, willing to put on the sirens if he had to.  
  
"Hang in there, Joseph."  
  
Everything was going to be just fine... at least, with a glance to his pallid partner, he could only hope.  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph gets admitted to the ER, but he and Seb are unsure of how severe his wound is, and Sebastian grows impatient.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy another chapter! I love writing antics between these two derpy boys.

  
Sebastian was going at least 20 over the speed limit. A ticketable offense, but not when he was part of the law.  
  
He didn't care when it came to keeping his partner safe. What would they do in any case, arrest him?  
  
It was a goddamned emergency.  
  
From beside him, Joseph was looking more than a little green, not only from the pain and blood loss, he was sure, but because of the increased speed of the car. At least if he barfed, they'd be at the hospital soon.  
  
"Almost there," Sebastian reassured out of instinct, seeing Krimson General rise up in the distance. It was a familiar trip, by now. A few more wild turns, a couple of horns honking angrily at his antics, and they were safely in the parking lot.  
  
A crooked parking job, and Sebastian had them right at the ER's entrance, the overhang for drop-offs and bright red cross apparent. Grabbing his keys once the vehicle had stopped, Sebastian was out the door and coming around to the passenger's side to escort Joseph inside. The man looked wide-eyed and frazzled as he helped him unsnap his seatbelt, and gently taking his upper arm, helped him out of the car.  
  
The familiar walk through those double-doors led to a relatively quiet reception area. Just an elderly couple in the corner, waiting to be seen, and a little girl clutching her arm, sandwiched between her parents. Sebastian winced. An old couple and a hurt kid... damn, he felt bad, but Joseph was bleeding. There was no way he wasn't being seen first.  
  
A middle-aged woman in scrubs moved to greet them in triage, asking them what the ailment was.  
  
"A goddamned dog nearly ripped his hand off," Sebastian said, voice gruff as Joseph paled beside him.  
  
"It's... really not that bad--" Joseph started, but Seb cut him off.  
  
"A _big_ dog," Sebastian clarified.  
  
"An animal bite?" The woman looked to Joseph's wrapped up hand, bloody and held tightly to his chest, and her gaze caught the bloodstains on Sebastian's clothes, too. "Okay, just a moment..."  
  
The woman disappeared behind a door, leaving them standing there.  
  
"You wanna sit?" Sebastian asked. Joseph shook his head, dark bangs falling over his square glasses.  
  
"I'll be okay."  
  
Of course he would. Joseph might be prone to the occasional nosebleed or fainting spell, but he was tough.    Honestly, he was lucky to have him as his partner... especially after Myra nearly got herself killed just a couple years prior. God, the time flew. He remembered being in this very Emergency Room, pacing back and forth outside, and smoking an entire pack of cigarettes while she was in surgery. Joseph, at least, was conscious and standing on his own two feet. A little worse for wear, but he prayed that his recovery would be full.  
  
It was his dominant hand after all, and for anyone, let alone a detective, that was pretty damned important.  
  
Still, he'd be right there for him... just as he'd been for his wife.  
  
Sebastian's reminiscing was put on hold, as the woman came back to greet them.  
  
"Normally there'd be an hour wait, but they're getting a room ready right now. You're in luck."  
  
Sebastian looked over his shoulder at the older couple, who were giving him some very distinctive looks, but he merely glared.  
  
The nurse had a pile of paperwork beneath one arm, already jotting things down. "Are you his guardian?"  
  
He stared a long moment before he realized what she meant. Christ, Seb was used to Joseph looking young, but the woman probably thought he was a teenager or something. That mop-like hair of his certainly didn't help, nor did Sebastian's gruff appearance for his age.  
  
"He's my partner."  
  
The woman glanced between them, giving a curious look with her penciled-in eyebrows raised.  
  
"On the force," Joseph elaborated, and Sebastian noticed a slight hint of color in his cheeks. "We're detectives."  
  
Sebastian flicked the shining silver badge on his belt, catching the woman's gaze. That seemed to get her attention.  
  
"So you'll be joining him?"  
  
"Well, yeah. I mean..." Sebastian hesitated, looking to Joseph as he trailed off. He hadn't really considered if he wanted to go it alone, or not.  
  
"It's fine," Joseph said quietly. Almost embarrassed. "Can't really fill out paperwork like this, anyway."  
  
A joke, even though he could tell that Joseph was suffering being kept waiting. The man was always patient, something Sebastian had always lacked. _Atta boy._  
  
"Right this way, officers."  
  
They were led through a pair of swinging doors, to the brightly-lit ER. Mostly a square of rooms with a reception area in the middle, some closed by doors, and some curtained-off. The nurse turned through one of the open rooms, and Sebastian was thankful for that. Joseph liked his privacy.  
  
It was a typical emergency care room. A sink and cabinets full of equipment on one side, a bed in the middle, some tools hanging up on the wall, and a monitor near the bedside. There was a maneuverable light right above the bed for exams, and naturally, the place was sterile and almost blindingly white.    
  
"I'll just need you to fill this out to the best of your abilities," the nurse said, the door closing behind them, and she handed Sebastian a clipboard with a nice chunk of paperwork. She gestured to the wheeled hospital bed at the center of the room. "And you can sit right there. Do you mind answering a few questions?"  
  
Sebastian made sure that Joseph was okay, offering a helping hand as Joseph seated himself at the very edge of the bed, legs hanging off and looking stiff as a board. Poor guy. Once he was sure he was situated, he sat down in a nearby chair, legs spread. Glancing down at the paperwork, it reminded him of every damned day in the office. At least this was, easy, though. A lot of it was basic information... Joseph's name, birthday, reason for the visit...  
  
He got to scrawling down the bits he knew offhand.  
  
"Can you describe to me what happened?" The nurse was asking Joseph, already taking his blood pressure and vitals.  
  
"We were working a case," Joseph said, just hardly audible. "I was investigating a residence and the dog kind of... came out of nowhere and started growling."  
  
"An attack dog, maybe," Sebastian guessed, tapping the pen against the clipboard thoughtfully. The woman ignored him, and Sebastian shrugged. Joseph's birthday was the 3rd, wasn't it? Yeah... Canada day. What a nerd.  
  
"Did you do anything to provoke the animal?" she continued. "Any sudden movements?"  
  
"I... I don't think so."  
  
Sebastian scoffed. Joseph provoking an animal was the equivalent of him turning to cannibalism. The man was always mild, kind... and even though he didn't seem to get along well with them generally (case in point) he always kept to his space and respected everyone and everything in his path. He hadn't even drawn his gun, for god's sake.

Woulda been one dead dog if it was his choice...  
  
"Unless walking into someone's yard counts." Again, the nurse tuned Sebastian out. She finished with taking Joseph's blood pressure, wrote a few things down, and moved to a thermometer. "I need to get your temperature."  
  
Joseph opened his mouth as she stuck it under his tongue. Sebastian felt a little weird witnessing his checkup, but he supposed there were stranger things. As long as his clothes were staying on, things would be okay.  
  
 He arrived at the next question on the sheet.  
  
"Hey, Joseph, how much do you weigh?"  
  
Both the nurse, and Joseph who was holding the thermometer in his mouth with his good hand, turned to stare at him blankly. He hadn't thought that one through. When the reading beeped, she relieved him of it, again going to her clipboard.  
  
"140," Joseph answered, again very quietly. Huh. More than he thought. And yet, he'd definitely carried his ass around on more than a couple occasions. He guessed it was a good thing he lifted.  
  
The to-the-point nurse continued with her bombarding of questions.  
  
"Did the dog look to be drooling?"  
  
Joseph's brow was deeply knitted. "Uh... I don't know."  
  
"Wearing a collar?"  
  
"Not sure."  
  
Right, like he or Joseph had been focused on ID tags, when it was trying to tear his hand off.  
  
"Have you been vaccinated for rabies?"  
  
"Er... no..."  
  
"Updated on tetanus?"  
  
"Yeah, a couple years ago."  
  
"Any known medical conditions that we should be aware of?"  
  
Joseph shook his head, before he thought about it another moment. "I... uh, pass out sometimes."  
  
Sebastian raised his pen. "Can confirm." He got up to hand the clipboard to her. "Here ya go."  
  
That seemed to garner the woman's attention, suddenly looking concerned.  
  
"Are you feeling nauseous or dizzy right now? Any pain?"  
  
"A... little bit."  
  
"Okay, mister... Oda," she said, finally glancing at his name on the sheet. "You just relax."  
  
Easier said than done, Sebastian thought bitterly. He watched as the woman scribbled his information on an ID bracelet, and moved to place it around the wrist of his uninjured hand.  
  
"If you feel like you might faint, don't hesitate to come get help. Someone will be in to see you shortly."  
  
With that, the woman left them. Sebastian remained standing, arms crossed over his chest as he stood near the bed. He wouldn't have to worry about that. Sebastian wasn't gonna leave his side, after all, and he'd make damn sure he was being taken care of.  
  
"She was a real piece of work," he grumbled, just as the door closed.  
  
"It's her job to be quick," Joseph shrugged. "We're lucky we were even seen."  
  
"I guess." Sebastian shrugged. It wasn't like he couldn't have pulled a few strings, if it had come to that. "How you holdin' up?"  
  
His brows raised in concern, as he moved a bit closer to observe his injured partner. He looked mostly okay. Just considerably paler than usual, but it could have been the bright lighting.  
  
"It kind of burns." Joseph moved his wrapped-up hand away from his chest, to hold it out, wiggling his fingers a bit as he winced. His movements already seemed a lot stiffer than they had a bit ago. Damn... probably hurt like a sonofabitch.  
  
"Well, hopefully they'll be back soon to take care of it," he said, playing optimistic.  
  
 Typically a high-energy individual, Sebastian paced around the room a bit, the clock on the back wall seeming to tick loud. Minutes passed, agonizingly slow. It was probably another 20 minutes, spent in relative silence. Ridiculous.  
  
"Could go for a smoke," he lamented, as Joseph frowned. This whole waiting thing had him feeling restless. His gaze caught a glass jar full of tongue depressors on the sink, as he plucked the lid.  
  
"Seb, I don't think you should be--"  
  
But Sebastian had already taken one from the jar, placing it in his mouth and chewing on it like a toothpick. Well, more like gnawing.  
  
"What? They won't care." A bit of a devious smile to his partner, as Joseph released a heavy sigh, shaking his head.  
  
"I swear, you're 10 sometimes."  
  
"Pft, don't I wish. You know, when I was a kid they had cherry flavored ones. This tastes like shit."  
  
"It's a piece of wood, what did you expect?"  
  
It was something at least, before he could get a smoke break in. As soon as Joseph was taken care of, he'd have to update Myra on the situation, too.  
  
Sebastian was about to go rooting around in one of the cabinets, just to see what was there, when the door opened again. This time, a younger woman in a white labcoat entered, carrying a metal tray of supplies. Her gaze instantly went to Sebastian, looking annoyed and a bit perplexed. Caught in the act.  
  
He laughed it off, the tongue depressor still in his mouth as he chewed on it.  
  
"About damned time," he said, hands suddenly on his hips as he stared her down.  
  
Wasn't his fault they took so long...  
  
As he looked over at the bed, Joseph had his face covered by his good hand, his single leather glove still on, clearly embarrassed of him.  
  
Embarrassment, however, was far preferable, as things were about to take an uncomfortable turn.  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! There'll be more soon, but of course, I love hearing from you! ♥


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seb finds out that Joseph has a phobia as his wounds are cleaned, and does his best to support his partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyy another chapter! I'm so behind on WIPs... and still conceiving ideas for Of Sound Mind's sequel. I hope you all had a WONDERFUL holiday and a have a very happy new year! <3

While the woman and Sebastian stared each other down, Joseph released an exhausted-sounding sigh.   
  
"He's just antsy," Joseph said, offering an excuse. "It's been a long day."  
  
"I bet," she said, "it's not every day you get bitten by a dog." She set the items down on the sink to come greet Joseph, putting out a hand. "I'm Doctor Viera."  
  
Sebastian watched as Joseph politely engaged in a handshake with his good hand, glove meeting her bare skin. "Joseph."  
  
"And you are?"  
  
" _Detective_ Castellanos."  
  
She looked far from impressed as he tossed the tongue depressor into the nearby trash receptacle.   
  
"Right. Well, I'm going to take a look at him, and get this all cleaned up."  
  
The woman put some sterile gloves on, and got to work. With her tending to Joseph, Sebastian had a few moments to observe her. She was rather attractive, probably around his age. Long, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and minimal makeup. Though, judging by her sharp features, she didn't even need it. Myra was the same way.   
  
Viera was at the bedside, turning the maneuverable neck of an exam light upon Joseph. As Joseph held out his wrapped-up hand, she ever-so-gently untied the handkerchief that Seb had applied, and began examining the wound. Joseph looked tense again, hissing slightly as her fingers turned his hand over.   
  
She was careful, and apologetic. Seemed like she was good at her work. Sebastian got that kind of vibe from her, which was good for Joseph, because if someone treated him poorly he'd have no issues stepping in.  
  
Sebastian came to stand on the other side of the bed, leaning in to observe Joseph's exposed hand probably closer than he should have. The doctor gave him a look, but said nothing.   
  
His lips pulled tight. Honestly, it looked like hell. The skin around the punctures was red and inflamed, and Joseph's hand was awfully puffy. And that was aside from the startling amount of blood staining his entire hand crimson.  
  
"It's swollen," Seb noted grimly. "Is it supposed to look like that?"  
  
"It's a traumatic injury," she said, "so yes, it's common."  
  
Joseph's wrist was held by her, as she continued to gently poke and prod. "Can you move your fingers for me?"  
  
Seb watched as Joseph was able to bend all of his fingers, albeit very stiffly.   
  
"That's good. It doesn't look broken, but there can still be internal damage. We'll get you down to x-ray after this."  
  
When Joseph's hand was allowed to relax, the doctor moved to the sink and her tray of supplies.   
  
"Were you wearing a glove, Joseph?" She asked over her shoulder.   
  
Joseph glanced to Seb, as he shrugged. "How did you know?"  
  
"I can tell from the deepness of the punctures. Also, you're still wearing the other one." A kind expression offered.  
  
"Oh... right..."   
  
"Must be the blood loss," Seb joked, with a twitch of a smile as Joseph looked somewhat embarrassed.  
  
Viera prepped a bedside tray, lined with sanitary paper and filled with various tools.   
  
 "Have you ever had a wound irrigated before?"  
  
Joseph shook his head.  
  
Viera explained the process, and Joseph looked downright ill. _Yikes_. That sounded... unpleasant, to say the least. Necessary to clean his wound of potential debris and bacteria, but far from comfortable. Sebastian shifted, while Joseph sat at the edge of the bed. He seemed to be all right as he laid his mangled hand upon the prep table, and Sebastian was sure things would be just fine. Just some cleaning, x-rays, and they should be on their way.   
  
Things seemed to be progressing, until he caught Joseph's gaze watching the doctor filling a syringe of local anesthetic. All of the color, or at least what very little he had left, seemed to drain from his features. Joseph instantly retreated his hand, as Sebastian stepped in with a palm upon his upper arm  
  
"Hey, Joseph. You okay?"  
  
He'd seen Joseph in some pretty hairy situations before, but he looked downright ready to vomit. Or pass out, maybe. Hell, might even be both.   
  
"I... I just need a minute." His voice was uncharacteristically shaky as he didn't directly meet Seb's gaze, looking awfully pale beneath that blindingly white exam light.  
  
"Take your time," the woman reassured, setting the needle down while Joseph attempted to compose himself. "Plenty of people don't like needles. I promise, I'll be as gentle as I can."  
  
It took the woman's reassurance for the mental lightbulb to flip on. _God_ , Seb had no idea he was terrified of needles. _Fuck_. What kind of partner was he?   
  
Sebastian had never really been good at this sort of thing. Lily was too young to understand doctors and injections, and at her last check-up, she'd simply slept through it. Which... honestly, wasn't a bad idea.  
  
"Can't you just... knock him out or something?" Seb wondered out loud.  
  
Viera gave him another look, but this time, it was sympathetic.   
  
"It's too risky to put him under for a routine procedure. Do you two need some time?"  
  
"Yeah, if you don't mind."  
  
She nodded, turning back to the supply cabinets for the time-being.  
  
"First... let's get these off." Sebastian reached to pluck Joseph's glasses from his face, setting them on the bed beside Joseph. There was no way that was comfortable. He also tugged Joseph's remaining (still bloody) glove off, leaving his sweaty palm to the open air. After that, Seb pressed a broad palm to his chest.   
  
"Lay back and... I dunno. Think of something nice. Maybe your fish tank."  
  
Joseph nodded, easing back against the head of the bed and the pillow there. He took a deep breath, as Sebastian could visibly see some of his tension releasing in his shoulders.  
  
"There ya go," Sebastian smiled. "Pretty soon we can get you back home, and you can relax with them."  
  
"Wait," Joseph instantly looked concerned again, once again seated upright and stiffly. "It's only noon, we have to get back to work."  
  
"After this? Fuck that, Joseph, you're getting the rest of the day off." When his pale lips parted to protest, Sebastian cut him off before he could even begin. "No arguments. Now go back to the relaxing thing."  
  
His partner obeyed, slowly easing himself back again. God, he was shit at this. Seb adjusted the pillow, attempting to fluff it enough so that he had something soft to lie against. After a few more minutes, Joseph was laid back, breathing a bit more comfortably, and he had his eyes closed. When the doctor took her cue to return and try again, Sebastian nudged Joseph's trembling shoulder.   
  
"Tell you what. You can squeeze my hand," Sebastian offered. "I can take it."  
  
To his surprise, Joseph almost instantly reached over to grip Sebastian's palm tightly, fingers enclosing around his much larger hand. His palms were slick. But then again, with his gloves on, maybe Seb just never noticed the younger man's nerves.   
  
Honestly, he felt terrible for him, being put through this... and even worse because he hadn't moved quickly enough to save him the pain of being bitten. Next time, he'd just shoot the damned thing.  
  
Joseph's injured hand offered again, upon that metal surgical tray, morbid curiosity got the best of Seb. The doctor described delicately what she was doing, narrating the process, but it certainly didn't ease Joseph's anxiety. The needle of local anesthetic was jabbed over and over again into Joseph's hand in quick succession surrounding the wounds. Well, at least he'd be fucking numb. No way he was gonna feel anything after that.  
  
Joseph tensed badly at the first couple of pokes, his hold on Sebastian's hand relatively firm, as Viera urged him to relax, but a few particularly deep stabs later had Joseph whimpering. He could hear his partner's breath hitching, briefly struggling for air as he instinctively kicked a knee.   
  
Sebastian grimaced as Joseph squeezed his hand for dear life, the metal of his wedding band pressing into his skin. Damn, the man had a death grip. The last time someone had crushed his hand so badly, Myra had been in 16-hour labor.  
  
"Hey, hey... it's ok," he soothed. Or tried to, at least. His opposite hand came to rest upon Joseph's thigh, halting his twitching. "You've got this, partner. That's the worst of it. Keep breathing."  
  
The last thing they needed was for Joseph to hyperventilate. Once Joseph was good and numb, Viera began cleaning it. He was glad that Joseph was laying back, eyes squinted shut, so that he wasn't able to see the grim process of his wounds being washed.  
  
Not to mention the startling amount of blood being wiped from his hand, staining that sanitary paper red as it spattered and pooled. Sebastian had an iron stomach, but seeing so much of Joseph's fluids had an unnerving sensation as the punctures were thoroughly cleaned. It was like his hand was a piece of meat, more than a body part. The bites, now visible as the stickiness of blood was wiped away, looked deeper than he'd expected. He could only imagine how much worse it would have been without his token leather gloves. He shuddered at the thought.   
  
Concentrating back at the task at hand, quite literally, Sebastian held Joseph patiently throughout his ordeal.   
  
What seemed like an eternity later, and Viera announced her success.   
  
"There we go, Mr. Oda... all finished. Relax for a bit, ok? You did great. Someone will be down to escort you to x-ray shortly."  
  
 By the time it was over, layers of fresh gauze were wrapped around hand and wrist, and Joseph's face was beaded with perspiration.  
  
"Good job, Joseph," Sebastian echoed, once the doctor had taken her leave, the dirtied supplies going with her.   
  
Hell, he was downright proud of him.   
  
Joseph hadn't let go of Seb's hand quite yet, which was more than fine by him. If he needed to be comforted in the aftermath, he wasn't about to deny something that was so simple to give.   
  
His partner's chest still heaving somewhat as that abused and bandaged hand rested protectively upon his chest, Joseph released a sigh of relief, as Seb issued a well-natured chuckle. Not laughing at his state, naturally, but it was a relieving tactic in his own way. He was just glad it was over.   
  
Without thinking, Sebastian used his free hand to brush his dark hair out of Joseph's eyes, feeling his sweat-mingled forehead and the dampness of those otherwise pristine bangs. His touch lingered.   
  
"Feelin' a little better?" he asked. It was worth a try, even if it had been traumatic for him.   
  
"Getting there," Joseph attempted, a twitch of his lips that resembled a smile.   
  
Sebastian gave his good hand a little squeeze of reassurance. "You need anything? Some water, maybe? Bathroom break? Looks like a little tray over there you can piss in."  
  
That got a scoff out of him, not quite a laugh, but Seb would take it.  
  
"I think I'm good."  
  
Sebastian smirked.   
  
"You rest. I'm going to call Myra. Let her know what's going on."  
  
Joseph gave a nod, at last releasing Sebastian's hand from his firm grip, as Seb reached for his cell phone in his pants pocket. Hopefully she wouldn't be upset if he stayed with his ailing partner for the remainder of the day. God knows Joseph needed the company... and likely a helping hand, in the literal sense.   
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm no medical professional btw, it's just hurt/comfort fanfiction and I do my best, haha.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph and Seb get a verdict on Joseph's injuries, but he requires a bit more discomfort before he's in the clear. 
> 
> Yes, there is Joseph ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gosh this last year has just flown by! It's been both difficult and extremely rewarding. But yes! I'm still in Joseb ... er, I mean TEW fandom! I hope you like this (very painful) chapter. Poor Joseph...
> 
> Dedicated to nori-with-toast! One of the sweetest fandom babes I know ;-; Thank you for chatting with me, inspiring me, and overall being an amazing friend! And of course, for being so enthusiastic about this fic even after so long!

Dialing his cell, Sebastian didn't bother leaving the room. Not only because he was concerned about leaving Joseph's side, but the two were used to taking personal calls while mere inches from each other. Long hours in their work vehicle, or stuck in the office together... there was little room for privacy most days.  
  


He speed-dialed Myra's number, waiting for her to pick up. It took a few rings, but eventually her familiar tone was heard on the other end of the line, filling Sebastian's chest with warmth.

"Hey, honey... uh, some bad news. There was an incident today. I'm in the ER."  
  


 

He glanced at Joseph, who was shaking his head and looking rather pale, as he promptly amended his statement as Myra bombarded him with frantic questions.

"No, no...! I'm fine." Sebastian winced, then offered a smile to his ailing partner. "It's Joseph, he got bitten by a dog."  
  


Though relief laced her tone, and they were both used to Joseph's terrible track record of injuries, she was still concerned, naturally.  
  


Sebastian paced around the room, never able to be still for very long. "Yeah, he'll be all right. He's getting x-rays soon. Gonna take the rest of the day off to stay with him. Sorry I won't make it home tonight."

 

Though it was a night away from his family, she thankfully understood. Gave her well wishes, and said that she had to get back to work shortly.

 

"Oh, don't forget to pay Juanita. I left her check on the counter. Yeah. Tell Lily I love her." Another pause, on the line as Sebastian blushed slightly. "Love you too."

 

Pocketing his cell once again in that overused trench coat, Sebastian returned to stand near the bedside.

 

"She says she hopes you feel better. And that she can have someone pick up some of your work if you need time off."

 

Joseph nodded his thanks. "I'm sure that won't be necessary."

 

"Dunno. Have you thought about how you're gonna do things with just one hand?"

 

"That _hadn't_ crossed my mind. Thank you." Joseph's tone was lower than usual, laced with sarcasm.

 

Seb winced. That was probably the _first_ thing Joseph had thought about in this whole mess... his goddamned work, when he could have lost his whole hand. Leave it to his steadfast partner to have his priorities straight.

 

Sebastian nudged his good shoulder, trying to bounce things back to playful. "Any time."

 

After staring at the clock on the far wall for a few long moments, he figured it was about time to ask if he needed anything. "Hey, you want some water or something? Maybe a snack?"

 

Personally, he was goddamned hungry.

 

"I think I'll be all right."

 

A beat passed. "I'll go get you some water. Can't get dehydrated."

 

Joseph sighed, as Seb left him momentarily. He recalled seeing vending machines on their way in, back in the lobby. Closing the door behind him, Sebastian made it as quickly as he could in case the doctor returned for Joseph any time soon.

 

He shoved a dollar into the drink machine, happy that it was cold for his partner, and then got distracted by procuring a candy bar and a bag of chips for himself. His stomach was already growling, not having eaten since early in the morning. If Joseph managed an appetite after their whole ordeal was over, he fully intended to take Joseph out for a nice, hot meal. Food always inspired Seb, in any case.

 

Upon arriving back to Joseph, Sebastian smiled, and easily twisted the cap off the water bottle to hand it to his partner. He watched as Joseph took it with his good hand, bringing it to his lips. It was goddamned sweltering out, and he was sure that Joseph had lost enough hydration from nerves and sweat alone. If they could get through this visit without the other man passing out, it would be a successful ER trip.

 

He was just glad he was around to look after him.

 

Sebastian patted Joseph's back, and leaned against the edge of the bed, not wanting to stray too far from him. Thankfully, another nurse returned shortly, to take him off to x-ray.

 

"Do you, uh, want me to go with you?" Sebastian offered, though he wasn't sure how helpful he'd be for a simple scan of Joseph's hand.

 

"I'll be all right," Joseph said, with a nod and another sip of his water.

 

"Go get 'em, champ," Sebastian attempted reassurance, as his partner offered a wan smile before he got up from bed and followed the nurse out of the room, all the while clutching his arm.

 

Sebastian passed the time in the tiny room by pacing around for a few minutes, before he remembered his vending machine snacks. He occupied the chair once again, digging into the chips first (after all, Joseph would hate the crunching noises). He made quick work of them, before moving onto the candy bar.

 

Thankfully, Joseph wasn't gone long at all, and Sebastian was thankful that he didn't have to dawdle for much longer.

 

"How'd it go?" he asked, looking hopeful once Joseph was seated back at the edge of the hospital bed.

 

"Smoother than the last one," he said, and Sebastian winced, remembering the man's broken arm not all that long ago. "They'll be able to tell me if anything is damaged shortly."

 

Sebastian gave a nod, noting that Joseph still looked incredibly pallid and weary.

 

"Well... I'm sure you'll be fine. Just rest, okay partner?"

 

They played the waiting game for a while longer. Sebastian suddenly wasn't hungry any more, feeling like he was walking on eggshells until the doctor returned for his final diagnosis. The anxiety was emanating off of his partner, and his own stomach was in restless knots.

 

When Viera returned, the doctor had both good, and very discomforting, news.

 

The good? Thankfully, all of the damage was superficial. The bad, was... well, pretty bad as Sebastian's expression turned stern.

 

"Unfortunately," the doctor started, "there's no way to know if you're at risk for rabies unless we see the animal... and if it's not found, you'll need a full course of medication throughout the month. But we'll start you on preemptive treatment."

 

"Treatment?" Joseph ventured hesitantly.

 

"Injections," she clarified, and Joseph's expression fell. "If there's no sign of the dog, you'll have to come back for a couple more rounds."

 

"You mean like rabies shots?" Sebastian asked. "Don't those go in the stomach?"

 

"No, they can safely go in the backside."

 

Joseph started fidgeting atop the bed, looking white as a ghost. " _What?_ "

 

"Wait, you mean his _ass_?" Seb blurted, and Viera stared at him.

 

"Larger muscle," she clarified. "The medicine is thick."

 

"Are you doing it... _now_?" Joseph asked, voice wavering.

 

"It'll just take a few moments, and you can be on your way. I'll prescribe you some painkillers. You can step out, if you'd like," the doctor offered, shifting her gaze over to Sebastian, who had been frozen in place, unsure of what to do in this particularly uncomfortable situation.

 

Sebastian looked helplessly over to Joseph, awkward tension filling up the space between them.

 

"You gonna be ok?" Sebastian coughed. He'd seen a lot of things as a detective, but he wasn't quite sure if he was ready to view Joseph's assuredly-pale ass. "I'll uh... go wait outside."

 

To his surprise, Joseph gripped the sleeve of his trench coat before he could take his leave. "I'd... prefer if you... _stayed_."

 

Joseph's front teeth were sinking into his bottom lip nervously. Honestly, with that pitiful, and admittedly downright terrified expression, he didn't have the heart to abandon him. Especially after seeing how close he'd gotten to passing out when his hand was cleaned earlier.

 

"Okay, Joseph," he nodded, somewhat grimly, "I'll stay right here."

 

They both looked over to the doctor on what should be done next. Seb had a pretty good idea, even if he was in denial about it.

 

"I'll just need you to lie on your stomach and take your pants down."

 

Joseph fumbled at his belt with his uninjured hand, clearly shaking. He managed to tremble the leather out of the loop, before Sebastian came in close to the exam table.

 

"Here, I got it."

 

Sebastian stepped in, aiding him in the task of unbuckling his belt. From there, Joseph managed his button and fly on his own, and then shifted into a laying position. Prone on the hospital bed, Joseph's chin rested on his folded arms, and Sebastian wondered if the doctor would do the task of baring him.

 

Was it worse or better to let a stranger do it for him? When she looked over her shoulder, filling a few syringes, he took it as a cue to do it himself.

 

Inhaling a nervous breath of his own, and trying not to think too much about it, Sebastian's fingertips curled at the top of Joseph's pants, as well as the band of his underwear, and he tugged.

 

How far was he supposed to pull them down? Shit. He was glad that he couldn't see Joseph's expression from the angle he was standing, because his own face went incredibly hot as he bared his partner's entire rear, the other man's pants tugged down close to his thighs.

 

He hadn't meant to, but Sebastian stared. Honestly, where was he hiding all of that? Joseph had... well, _quite_ the ass. Round, and unsurprisingly pale. Sebastian felt an intense spike of embarrassment, and he could only imagine how his modest partner felt.

 

"Uh, this ok?" Sebastian found his gaze fixating a bit too long on Joseph's derriere, as the doctor regarded him over her shoulder as she finished up with preparing the needles.

 

"That'll be just fine," she said.

 

Sebastian moved to the side of the bed, closer to Joseph's front, ready to provide support while Doctor Viera approached Joseph once again.

 

"You wanna squeeze my hand again?"

 

Joseph shook his head, opting for saying nothing. He understood if he didn't want to be touched. Needless to say, it was pretty humiliating.

 

Hell, how many other partners had to go through this shit?

 

"Just relax, detective," the doctor urged. Thankfully, she didn't seem to want to draw this out, either as she swiped a spot on Joseph's cheek with an alcohol swab.

 

Glancing from Joseph's profile, to... well, _other_ areas, Sebastian morbidly watched the first needle as it was jabbed into Joseph's backside. Joseph jolted, as Sebastian's palm instinctively moved to rub between Joseph's shoulder blades, attempting to soothe him as Dr. Viera slowly pressed her thumb to the plunger and started to empty it.

 

"Hey, you got this," Sebastian attempted, still rubbing his back.

 

"That one's all done," the doctor soothed, placing a bandage and moved onto the next. "This one's the antibiotic. It might burn a little."

 

One shot down, and one to go. Sebastian was sweating in his trench coat. This time, Joseph reached out his uninjured hand for Sebastian to take and instantly squeezed. Sebastian felt not only frustrated but angry at the situation. If he'd just gotten there in time he could have prevented Joseph from all of this pain and embarrassment...

 

Again glancing from Joseph's strained features, to the doctor, Sebastian winced. Thank Christ Joseph couldn't see _that_ needle. It was goddamned huge, his own ass feeling a bit of sympathetic pain for his tortured partner.

 

At least she'd opted to put it in his opposite cheek, though Sebastian suspected his partner wouldn't enjoy sitting for a while.

 

Another swipe of his skin, and another poke. Joseph actually whimpered.

 

Even the steely facade of the doctor seemed to shatter as she soothed him.

 

"I'm _so_ sorry, honey... I'm almost done."

 

"Jesus," Joseph's voice broke. "It _really_ hurts..."

 

"It's okay, Joseph. Keep breathing, come on..."

 

When he moved in a bit closer to accommodate Joseph's hold on his hand, Sebastian's frown deepened. _Shit_. As he looked to Joseph's face, though his eyes were squinted shut behind his glasses, he swore he saw wetness at the corner of his eye.

 

Sebastian panicked, not wanting to see Joseph in tears.

 

Leaning in, his opposite palm (the one not currently being crushed to death by Joseph's pained grip) instinctively moved to find the back of Joseph's head. His fingers ran through the soft, but undeniably damp hair at the nape of his neck. He'd rarely seen Joseph so damned distressed or nervous.

 

"Are you done yet?" Sebastian said, gritting his teeth at the doctor. She merely glanced at him, the needle just about emptied.

 

A few stressful moments later, and it was done, another band-aid smoothed over the injection site.

 

Viera seemed eager to clean up the supplies, and get them on their way. "I'll give you some time, and have his prescription and paperwork to you as soon as possible."

 

As she took her leave again, Sebastian quickly reached over to tug Joseph's pants back up, at least giving him some modesty, though it was for his sake, too. Was gonna take a while to get that image out of his head...

 

Joseph had let go of his hand, but was pretty much slack as he laid there. He looked downright traumatized.

 

"Need help gettin' up?"

 

Giving a weak nod, Joseph began to rise, and Sebastian easily gripped his arm and aided him back into a seated position on the bed. Sebastian wasn't sure how to react as Joseph sat there unhappily and wincing, hand bandaged and pants still undone. He pretended not to notice as Joseph reached his good hand back to rub at his rear.

 

It was usually his tactic to deflect awkwardness with humor. Should he make light of things and compliment his ass? No, he couldn't make things weird...

 

Instead, what came forth was surprising sincerity.

 

"Joseph... I'll make sure we find that fuckin' dog, so that you don't have to do this again."

 

As he looked at him, Joseph looked a hell of a lot younger than 27, floppy hair messed up and hanging over his watery eyes.

 

"... you'd... do that for me?"

 

Sebastian couldn't help but let a smile spread mildly across his features. "You bet your ass I will."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are love, reviews are life.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh no! Will Joseph be ok? 
> 
> Feedback is always greatly appreciated! ♥


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